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S. ELLIOTT.

HOLDER FOR BIGYGLES. No. 587,945. Patented Aug. 10,1897.

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S. ELLIOTT. HOLDER FORBIOYGLES.

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(No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet 3.

s. ELLIOTT.

HOLDER FOR BICYGLES.

No. 587,945. Patented Aug. 10,1897.

4 SheetsSheet 4.

(N0 Model.)

S. ELLIOTT. HOLDER FOR BIGYOLES.

Patented Aug. 10,1897

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STERLING ELLIOT OF NEIVTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO GEORGE II. \VILLIAMS, OF SAME PLACE, FRANK IV. IVI-IITCHER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, AND I'IOIVARD C. NOBLE, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

HOLDER FOR BICYCLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 587,945, dated August 10, 1897.

Application filed November 20, 1896. Serial No. 612,797. (No model.)

To (til IIJ/ I/U/H/ it 111,11, concern/.-

Be it known that I, STERLING ELLIOTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newton, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Holders for Bicycles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

. The question of storing bicycles Within railway-cars during transportation is one of very great importance, and also presents very serious difficulties. Great care must be exercised in order to avoid injury to the bicycles while they are in the cars. They are awkward and inconvenient things to store in the latter, and their size, shape, and proportions are such that they obstruct very seriously the space within a car when stored according to the methods which have been in vogue heretofore. It has been found difficult to keep the enameled parts thereof from becoming scratched and also difficult to avoid breakage, while they take up a disproportionate amount of space. If a proper space within a car is reserved for bicycles, a very limited space is left for other baggage.

The objects of my invention are to provide holders or supports to which bicycles may be applied quickly and conveniently and by means of which the bicycles may securely be held while applied thereto, the said holders or supports being combined with the interior walls and ceiling of a car and so constructed and arranged as to enable a large number of bicycles to be stored safely and compactly and securely held during transportation, while still leaving the central longitudinal space within the car available for the movement of persons or the storage of baggage and the like.

The invention is intended more especially for application to cars to facilitate the storing of bicycles therein for the purpose of being transported conveniently and safely, but, as will be obvious, it is equally applicable to a roomas, for example, the store-room of a club-house or the like.

The space within a car being limited and valuable, it will be obvious that it is important to provide means which will admit of utilizing the said space fully.

The invention is set forth fully in the following description, and the novel features are pointed out and clearly defined in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, to which reference is made in the description which. follows, Figure 1 is a perspective of part of a car, illustrating the application of my invention thereto. Fig. 1 shows in side elevation the improved form of supports which I have devised for attachment to an upright wall of a room or car, the said wall and floor adjacent the same being represented in section and a bicycle being represented in dotted lines as applied to the said supports. Fig. 2 is a view in elevation, looking from the left in Fig. 1, wit-h the bicycles removed and with the retainer or bail, to which reference is made hereinafter, swung into its depressed position. Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation and on an enlarged scale of a simple form of the lower holder of Figs. 1, 1*, and 2. Fig. 4 is a view in plan of the said form of the lower holder. Fig. 5 is a view in plan, with a small part broken away, of a form of the said lower holder in which compressible or yielding face-pieces are employed. Fig. 6 is a view in plan showing a form of the lower holder with the said compressible or yielding faceplates applied thereto, the said form being made in separable portions, as will be explained hereinafter. Fig. 7 is a View in front elevation of one of the parts of the separable holder of Fig. 6. Fig.8 is a view illustrating the ceiling-supports, which are described hereinafter, a portion of the ceiling to which the said supports are applied being indicated in section and a bicycle being represented in dotted lines as applied to the said supports, Fig. 9 is a view in plan with the Wall of Fig. 1 in horizontal section and with the ceiling removed,illustrating the relative disposition of the wall-supports and ceiling-supports and also of the two series of bicycles which are applied to the supports, as explained hereinafter. Figs. 10 and 11 are details showing modifications hereinafter referred to.

Referring to the drawings, A, Figs. 1, 1,

the ceiling thereof.

2, and 9, represents the interior vertical wall of a room or of a car, and 13, Figs. 1 and 8, On the wall A, I secure firmly by means of screws or other suitable securing means a block or holding device 1. This is provided with the U-shaped recess 2, into which the rim of a bicycle-wheel will fit. This U-shaped recess does not lie at right angles to the wall, but preferably is formed at an angle of forty-five degrees thereto. The projections 3 3, which form the walls or jaws of the recess or opening 2, flare or diverge slightly at their outer ends, as shown. At the outside of each of the said projections 3 is a lip 1, which is formed with a hole to receive the bent end of the U-shaped wire bail or retainer 6, each end of which is bent substantially at right angles to form pivots which engage the said holes in the projections 4, as shown clearly in Figs. 1, 1, 2, and 9. The said U-shaped bail or retainer is made of a length sufficient to enable it, when the front wheel of a bicycle has been upraised and the bicycle has been given the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and the tire of the elevated wheel is placed in the U-shaped recess 2, to drop over the said wheel, the bight 7, Fig. 2, of the said bail or retainer 6 engaging the periphery of the wheel opposite the holder 1, as shown in Figs. 1, 1, and 9. As will be clear, the said U-shaped bail or retainer 6 is not greater in length than the diameter of the wheel. One side or portion of the same may be provided at the proper place with a lateral U -shaped bent or oifset portion 8, Fig. 2, when desired, in order to accommodate a cyclometer when one is present in the usual position in which cyclometers are placed. Fig. 9 shows the bail or retainer made without this bend or offset.

lVhen a wheel is not in the holder, the bail or retainer 6 will drop down against the wall to which the holder is secured and will be out of the way, or, if desired, the said'bail or retainer 6 may be disengaged easily from the block, after having dropped down into a vertical position by simply com pressing the sides together, so as to withdraw its bent ends out of the holes in the lips 4, and then may be removed. As the outer ends of the jaws 3 diverge slightly, (see Fig. 9,) it follows that when the bail or retainer 6 is swung up so as to project at right angles to the wall its inner ends are spread apart by the said ends of the jaws 3 and cannot then be withdrawn from the holes in the lips 4. 1

At a proper distance below the holder 1 and at a snfficient distance above the floor of the room or car to permit the lower or rear wheel of the bicycle to rest on the said floor when the bicycle is in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 1 I secure by screws or other securing means a second holder 11, which is somewhat similar in shape to the block 1. The said block 11 is provided with jaws 13, which extend outwardly, leaving a U-shaped recess or opening 12 between said jaws, said opening or recess having, like the recess of holder V 1, a lateral obliquity, it lying at an angle of forty-five degrees to the plane of the wall. The jaws l3 diverge at their outer ends, and the recess or opening 12 is of proper size to fit the bicycle-tire.

\Vhen it is desired to support a bicycle, it is raised into a substantially vertical position, the upper or front wheel being placed in the opening 2 of holder 1, and the bail or retainer 6 is allowed to fall over the wheel, the bight 7 thereof engaging the opposite side of the tire. The lower or rear wheel is placed in the recess or opening 12 of the holder 11,

- and the bicycle thus is secured firmly in a vertical position on the wall of the room or car. A series of pairs of these holding devices are placed side by side 011 the said wall, preferably about eighteen inches apart horizontally. (See Figs. 1 and 9.) Since the bicycle when in the holders projects at an angle of fortyfive degrees to the plane of the wall and not at right angles thereto, the said distance apart of eighteen inches is sufficient. The projecting portions of the bicycles in the holders will overlap or pass and not engage or interfere with one another. This is shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 9. For this reason the openings or recesses 2 and 12 are formed, as above described, with lateral obliquitythat is to say, at an angle to the plane of the wall rather than at right angles thereto. A large number of bicycles may in this way be stored and securely held on the wall of a room or the Side of a car. To still further utilize the room or car space, I provide a series of ceiling-hooks 21, which throughout the length of the bend of each of the same preferably are covered with rubber or similar covering 211 to prevent injury or scratching of the rims of the wheels. The top or base 22 of each hook 21 is formed substantially at right angles with the shank thereof and is provided with holes whereby the said hook may be secured by screws or similar means to the ceiling B of the room or car. Two of these hooks are provided for each bicycle to' be stored on the said ceiling and are set at a sufficient distance apart, as alsoat sufficient distance from the wall of the room, to permit a bicycle when inverted and raised to be placed on the said hooks, the rim of one wheel engaging one hook and the rim of the other wheel engaging the other book. (See Fig. 8.) The hooks of each pair are set in line with each other at an angle of preferably forty-five degrees with the line of the vertical wall, so that a bicycle hung on the said hooks or held thereby will occupy a position at an angle of about forty-five degrees to the said wall. The said hooks 21 are so placed with reference to the holders 1 as that one of the wheels of a bicycle hung on the said hooks will project in between the upper or front wheels of bicycles placed in adjoining holders 1, which, as before stated, are eighteen inches apart. It will be clear that by means of my improved wall and ceiling Supports the space of a room or car may be filled with a practically solid mass of bicycles, each of which is securely held wholly out of contact with adjoining ones, and that the risk of damaging bicycles so stored is reduced to a minimum.

At Figs. 5, 6, and 9 I have shown the lowerholder 11 as having the jaws of the said block provided with compressible or yielding faces 31 31. These faces are secured to the said jaws in any suitable manner and are formed,

preferably, of spring metal and so shaped as to partially close the mouth or opening 12 between the said jaws 13. Fig. 5 shows the two yielding or compressible faces 31 31 as formed by the end portions of a strip of spring material, which is secured to the holder by ascrew 311. lVhen such a modified holder is employed, the lower or rear wheel of the bicycle is pushed between the spring-faces 31 31, said faces yielding while the rim of the wheel passes between them, and then assumin g again their normal position when the said tire and rim have passed fully into the recess 12. In this way the lower or rear wheel of the bicycle is more firmly secured in place, as may sometimes be necessary in cars on account of the jar and movement of the cars.

At Fig. 6 I have shown amodification of the lower holder 11, which consists in forming the same in two partsnamely, a base part 41 and a forked part 42, provided with the U-shaped recess or opening. The base part 41 preferably is provided with a dovetailed recess, as indicated at 43, into which a corresponding dovetail 44; on the part 42 fits. Instead, however, of this dovetail securing device any well-known or equivalent form of detachable securing device may be employed. By this means the projecting part of the holder-that is, the part which embodies the jaw and U-shaped recess or opening-may be removed when the device is not in use. This is desirable more especially in cars, since the projecting portion would be in the way of trunks or similar baggage which it may be desirable to place close to the side of the car, and which otherwise would be scratched or marred by coming in contact with the said projecting portion of the lower holding device.

Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate a separable construction of holder in which the base a5 has an elongated hole 16 centrally thereof, the said hole having an enlargement at midlength thereof. The forked portion 47 has a T-shaped shank, the head of which extends crosswise of the said portion, and which is introduced by first turning the length of said head into position to correspond with that of the slot 46. After inserting the said shank into the said slot so as to carry the head of the shank behind the plate the said forked portion is turned quarter-way round, which causes the head to cross the slot at right angles and secures the forked portion in place.

I lay no claim herein to the construction of the supporting devices,separately considered, inasmuch as the same iscovered by claims in the divisional application for patent which was filed by me May 7, 1807, Serial No. 635,500. Herein I cover the combination and arrangement which provide for the support of a series of bicycles.-

lVhat I claim is- 1. The combination with a wall, or the like, of a plurality of bicycle-holders located side by side thereon, and supporting a plurality of bicycles side by side with one wheel of each bicycle held upraised above the other wheel thereof, the said holders being constructed to maintain the bicycles in laterally-inclined po-' sitions overlapping one another laterally and thereby enabling a series of bicycles to be placed closely together side by side withoutpermitting projecting portions of the handle bars, &c., of proximate bicycles to come in contact with one another, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a wall, or thelike, of a plurality of bicycle-holders located side by side thereon and supporting a plurality of bicycles side by side with one wheel of each bicycle held upraised above the other wheel thereof, the holder for each elevated wheel having a U-shaped recess to receive the said elevated wheel, each of such recesses being formed with a lateral, obliquity whereby to hold the corresponding bicycle in a laterally inclined position and thereby enable the series of bicycles to be placed closely together, overlapping one another laterally without permitting projecting portions of the handle bars, &c., of proximate bicycles to come in contact with'one' another, substantially as described.

3. Incombination, wall-supporting devices to support a plurality of bicycles side by side, such devices having for each bicycle holders formed with U shaped recesses to receive the rims of the respective wheels thereof, the holder which receives the elevated wheel of the bicycle having in connection therewith a retaining device to engage the periphery of the wheel opposite such holder to keep the wheel in the latter, the said recesses being formed with a lateral obliquity, whereby to enable the series of bicycles to be placed closely together without permitting projecting portions of proximate bicycles to come in contact with one another, substantially as described.

4. The combination with the wall and ceiling of a car, or the like, of a plurality of holders located side by side on the said wall and constructed to support-a plurality of bicycles side by side with one wheel of each bicycle held upraised thereby above the other wheel thereof, and a plurality of hangers applied to the said ceiling in positions alternating with the portions of the said holders which are applied to the said wall, the said hangers being constructed to suspend a plurality of bicycles in inverted position, and also to hold one wheel of each of .the said bicycles located between two of the elevated wheels of the bicycles first mentioned, whereby a double series of bicycles is supported at the side and top of a car while the central space of the latter is left unoccupied, substantially as described.

5. In combination, wall-supporting devices to support a plurality of bicycles side by side, each bicycle being held with one wheel thereof elevated above the other, such devices comprising for each of the bicycles two recessed blocks or holders, one above the other, to receive the rims of the respective wheels of such bicycle, a retainer to engage with the periphery of the elevated wheel opposite the upper holder to keep it in such holder, and ceiling-hooks whereby to sustain other bicycles in inverted position each with one wheel thereof intermediate two of the elevated wheels of the bicycles first mentioned,

substantially as described.

6. The combination with the wall and ceiling of a car, or the like, of aplurality of holders located side by side on the said wall and constructed to supporta plurality of bicycles side by side with one wheel of each bicycle held npraised thereby above the other wheel thereof, and a plurality of holders applied to the said ceiling in positions alternating with the positions of the said holders which are applied to the said Wall, the said hangers being constructed to suspend a plurality of bicycles in inverted position, and also hold one Wheel of each of the said bicycles between two of the elevated wheels of the bicycles first n1entioned,the said holders and the hangers being constructed and arranged to hold the bicycles in laterally-inclined positions, whereby a double series of bicycles is supported at the side and top of a car while the central space of the latter is left unoccupied, and whereby also the bicycles are enabled to be placed closely together side by side without permit-ting projecting portions of the handlebars, 850., of proximate bicycles to come in contact with one another, substantially as described. y

In testimony whereof -I afli'x my signature in presence of two witnesses.

STERLING ELLIOTT.

Witnesses:

JOHN BEoK, M. R. MAGUIRE. 

